Under the Facade
by StenciledWings
Summary: Because you don't know their stories. Prequel to Buried Beneath, but can be read on its own. College AU. SasuSaku in later chapters.
1. Cry

**Hey there!**

As you can see, I'm back again. I was really inspired today, and so I wrote this as an 'end-of-August' surprise fic! There will only be three chapters and I'll be publishing the two chapters tomorrow. September's nearly here!

This chapter was inspired by the song Cry by Mandy Moore, and was written in Sakura's POV.

Other chapters were also inspired by other songs, but the next two were written in Sasuke's POV. :D

**Disclaimer:** Nope. I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Want a muffin?"

He simply turned his head away from me. I sighed. This was just so hard.

"Well," I said again awkwardly, "just tell me if you want a muffin, okay?"

Still no response.

"You wanna talk about it?" I asked, mentally slapping myself in the process. _Really? Just really, Sakura? The guy wouldn't even look at you so just drop it_, I thought crudely. But then, stubborn old me still refused to give up.

"Are you sure you're oka—"

"Look," he interrupted me. He turned his head and shot me a hard glare. I simply looked back at him.

"I don't know what the hell you are doing here," he continued, "but just get this straight, I don't need your help. And no, I don't care about your stupid crush on me. No, not gonna happen. Now go," he finished rudely.

Normally, that kind of response from him—or from anyone for that matter—would have pissed me off, but somehow, I wasn't annoyed at all. I felt patient. Ergo, I merely shrugged.

"Let's get this straight, too," I said, looking up to the dull grey horizon. It was just a few weeks after classes had started, and I was starting to settle in to being a second-year college student. We were sitting by the beach; the rushing waves were getting bigger and bigger as time went by. _There will be a storm soon_, I noted vaguely.

"One," I continued, "this is where I go every day, and I sure as hell do not know what you are doing here and I also wouldn't care but two, it's not every day that I see _the_ Uchiha Sasuke crying on the beach so I thought I would see if there was something wrong or at least give some comfort. It was simply common courtesy. And three, I _had_ a crush on you. Yes. But that was way back in middle school. It's been eight years, we're both twenty years old now, and I'm totally over that. So if you're thinking that I was stalking you or anything because I'm still mooning my head off about you, then you're wrong."

I pulled my knees to my chest, inhaling the cold salty air. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him shift around, clearly uncomfortable.

"Just go," I heard him mutter.

"Not gonna happen, Uchiha," I said. "I come here every day, as I said. If my presence really bothers you that much, then you go."

I knew that if looks could kill, I'd probably be dead by now, but I didn't care. I was here to unwind, and no sniffling Uchiha had the power to stop me from doing my daily routine.

We sat there in silence. Obviously, none of us were willing to go. Yet.

"You know," I contemplated, "it is okay to cry it all out every now and then. After all, crying doesn't necessarily mean that you're weak. Sometimes, people cry because they have been tough for too long. But crying is an option, I guess. In case you don't like crying, there are also some ways to let all the frustration out. You can channel all that pent-up energy to do other stuff, like—I dunno—clean your room or whatever. That way, you get to let go of your bottled up emotions and accomplish something good at the same time."

"I'm not talking to you," he suddenly cut in.

"You just did," I responded bluntly, and that shut him up. Or so I thought.

"Well, why the hell do you even care?" He sounded really frustrated. "You don't know me."

"That's right," I agreed. "I don't know you, but I kinda know the feeling you're going through."

"And how is that?" he questioned me harshly, but then, I also heard curiosity in his tone.

"I also had my low moments. I also experienced those times when I really felt stupid, sad, or completely useless. I know how it feels to be so frustrated with how things are going, but somehow, you just can't do anything about it." Briefly, I smiled, remembering my past experiences.

"That used to get me every time," I went on. "Until I learned that as long as there is something that can be done to change my situation, then I should do it. I'd rather that I did all that I could do and still fail to make things better, than fail because I didn't do anything at all."

"You sound so sure," the Uchiha grunted.

"I only _sound_ sure, but I'm not really sure sometimes. No one's ever sure all the time. That would make a person—I dunno, omniscient, maybe? Whatever." I tilted my head back, closing my eyes for a brief moment before I stretched out and looked at my watch, sparing the sky another glance. _Hm, time to go home_, I thought, as I reached for my satchel.

I rummaged around, searching for my car keys. Finding it, I looped the key ring around my index finger before looking up. And boy, what I saw made me stop for a moment.

There he was again, just as I had found him earlier: looking straight up in the sky, his onyx eyes glistening with tears. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, trying not to let the tears fall. I had practically grown up with Sasuke for years, and even if I didn't know him well as a person, I knew that he had a pride so big that he would never let himself cry in front of anyone—particularly a girl, especially if that girl was me. The idiot was still trying to keep his cool dude image.

Suddenly, I wanted to just crawl over and hug him, to assure him that things will turn out okay. But I refrained from doing so. There'd be no point. I didn't know what it was that was bothering him, and I also didn't think that he would appreciate being hugged by me.

"My brother, Itachi. He's—he's been coughing blood lately," he suddenly said.

I froze, my eyes darting up to look at him. Onyx orbs met my green gaze. And I was right, he really was tearing up. Uchiha Sasuke, the famous university heartthrob, who was as tough and indifferent as a rock, and as cold as ice, turned out to be not so indifferent and cold at all. He really was trying hard not to cry.

He inhaled deeply. "I saw him the other day in the kitchen. The sink, it—it was splattered with blood. I heard him coughing it all up. He didn't know I saw, I just—," he broke off, no longer trusting his own voice, probably.

"You," he looked at me, his eyes pleading. I gaped at him; I had never thought I would see him like this.

"You're a Biology student. You gotta know something, anything. You study this, right? What's wrong with him? You have to know something, tell me, I nee—" He was beginning to ramble.

"Sasuke," I interrupt him gently, placing my hand over his briefly to keep him calm. "Calm down," I said quietly.

He looked at me before he swallowed again, nodding briefly. He understood that he should try and keep his wits together. If he had broken down in front of me, he would have regretted that and he would have inadvertently blamed me for witnessing that, and both he and I knew that we didn't want that to happen.

"I'm a Biology student, that's true. But I can't pinpoint what's wrong with him. I'm not yet skillful enough to diagnose people. I'm still an undergrad, and I still have to go to medical school. I'm not a doctor, Sasuke. I'm sorry," I said in a low voice.

"Yeah, I know. It was stupid for me to even think of it," he grunted, his voice thick.

"No, it wasn't," I differed. We looked at each other, then. The cold air whipped his raven hair back, just as wisps of my own hair flew across my face. I saw the redness of his eyes, his jaw tensed.

Sasuke was known to be very close to Itachi. When their parents had died in a car accident back when we had been sophomores in high school, Itachi, who had just turned twenty-one, had immediately taken the burdens of running the family's company, pushing himself to the brink to secure his and Sasuke's future. And if Sasuke's sports cars were anything to go by, it was apparent that Itachi was successful in maintaining their family fortune. But then somehow, I knew that money was the least of Sasuke's worries right now. Itachi was all he had left. His only brother. His only family.

"I know how you feel," I whispered.

I saw his eyes widen briefly for a moment, remembering what had happened to me. Everyone knew my story, after all. My mother had died giving birth to me, and my father had been left to care for me, which he did, until his death three years before. His chain-smoking had taken its toll, and in the end, he had died of lung cancer. Until now, I lived with some of our relatives, but I had already planned to buy my own house and move there next spring. My dad had willed everything he had to me but I had known even back then that it would never be enough to fill up the emptiness I had inside.

"Sakura," he murmured. I looked up and I found that my vision was blurry, my eyes filled up with my own tears.

The rain suddenly began to fall hard, the waves rolling with massive force. We both got up to our feet at once and ran towards the side of the road, where our cars were parked. Thunder boomed overhead and it rained harder.

We were both drenched when we reached our destinations. I had just slipped into my convertible before I thought for a second and went out again.

"Sasuke!"

He was about to get in his car, but when I yelled his name, he turned, his black hair wet and dripping. My clothes stuck to my skin and it was freezing but I had to give something to him. I ran over and pulled out a calling card, using my hands to shield it from the rain. I handed it to him and he took it, looking questioningly at me.

"Go to her. She won't breathe a word about anything you'll tell her. Tell her I'm the one who told you to come," I gasped out. It was so cold. I turned to go, when I felt his hand on my arm.

"Sakura," he raised his voice over the sound of the falling rain.

"What?" I almost shouted.

"About what you saw earlier, and the way I acted, I—I, about my crying—"

"Crying?" I cut him off. "What crying? I didn't see anyone crying today, especially Uchiha Sasuke. That guy never cried. And if I did see his face wet today, that's because it was raining."

He looked at me, his expression dumbfounded. Then he smirked.

"Hn," he said, letting me go.

"No problem!" I shouted over my shoulder.

We both got into our respective cars, and as I drove off, I thought that I had handled the situation quite well. I made a mental note to do my best never to hastily judge or mock anyone in my life.

Because I didn't know their stories.

And because under the facade, even rocks crumble, and even an ice has tears.

* * *

Meanwhile, Uchiha Sasuke sat inside his car. Turning over the card the girl had given to him, his eyes widened as he saw the address of Dr. Tsunade, Sakura's mentor and one of the best doctors in the country.

Looking in his rearview mirror, he was able to catch a glimpse of Haruno Sakura's retreating car.

"Thank you," he silently whispered.

* * *

**That's it for now. Stay tuned for the next two chapters.**

**I'd be able to upload them tonight or tomorrow.**

**Tomorrow tops. :D**

**Happy End-of-August!**

**Reviews pretty please!**

**For more updates, check my profile or follow me on Tumblr (link's on profile as well)**

**See ya!**


	2. Move

**Howdy!**

It's almost September! And as promised, I'm back with the second chapter. (ooh, that rhymed!)

This one was written in Sasuke's POV, and was inspired by Switchfoot's song Dare You to Move.

Final chapter's gonna be uploaded later. :D

**Disclaimer:** Naruto or any of its characters do not belong to me. :P

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Sasuke—"

"No. No. It doesn't make any sense. It would work, I know it would. You just—"

"Would you just listen?"

I heard the desperation in his voice, and lifting my face from my hands, I looked up at him. He was panting, but his eyes showed that he was determined.

I felt my throat constrict again and I looked away. I didn't have the courage to look at him, to see him like that. I felt utterly, completely useless. Stupid, even. I was rendered pathetically helpless, incapable to make the pain—his pain—go away.

"I don't understand," I whispered brokenly.

Immediately, he knelt down in front of me as I sat on the chair. I remembered the time when I had been nothing but a five-year-old kid and I had come home from school with my favorite teddy bear missing an arm, because it got caught in the classroom door, and I had cried all the way home. Itachi had also knelt down in front of me back then, telling me that everything will be okay, and I had believed him.

But now…

"You have to listen to me," he urged me, placing his hands on my shoulders, forcing me to look in his eyes. "You're twenty years old. This is reality. You have—," he broke off, and then tried again. "You have to understand. I'll help you understand."

I shook my head. I couldn't believe this was happening.

"You're sick," I told him. "But you'll get better. I know you would." I refused to acknowledge anything more than that. Even when Dr. Tsunade had told me all of it—told me the truth—the same truth that Itachi's eyes were telling me now. All I knew was that there was something wrong with him—at least, that was all I let myself believe.

"Listen to me, Sasuke." He waited for me to look at him before he continued.

"This is life," he said seriously as he looked me directly in the eyes. "This is reality. This is real. You can't make it go away just because you can't face it. You have to learn to look at life straight on the face, in good times and in bad, otherwise, it will kill you and you will die with tons of regrets." His voice was stern, his eyes hard. He really was determined to drill this into me.

"You're not yet ready," he continued. "I can see that. That's why I won't tell you face to face yet what my fate is—what will happen to me. But you can't change it, Sasuke. You have to prepare yourself. It's gonna be hard, really hard. And we will have to work on that. But I swear, Sasuke, you gotta pull yourself together. You can't be like this, especially when—" Once again, he broke off, restraining himself from blurting out the truth that he had said he would not tell me yet—the truth that I still refused to acknowledge.

He closed his eyes, and once again, I saw the paleness of his skin, which no longer glowed with healthy exertion. I saw the wrinkles around his eyes, between his brows, upon his forehead. This man was the one who had pulled out a future for both of us, who had hammered himself from being a boy into a man for my sake and his. To keep us both alive. He was all the family I had after our parents had died, and now—no. There it was again, the truth I wouldn't acknowledge.

Itachi took a deep breath, opening his eyes. "You have to do it. It's for the best, Sasuke. You gotta do it, for both our sakes."

"You're asking me to live as if none of this happened—as if none of this will happen," I gritted my teeth.

"I'm asking you to live as you had done before—filled with life, filled with hope," he answered back. "Listen well, Sasuke, I'm not asking you to forget all of this and live on, I'm asking you to live your life—to get your shit together and pull yourself off the ground, despite knowing all of this."

I had turned away, and so he grabbed the back of my head and made me look at him again.

"It's not over for you," he said, his voice earnest. "You could still achieve everything you could ever want. Don't throw all of that away, not for me, not for anyone. This is life, Sasuke. And I'm telling you, things could get far worse than this, and even if you yell your head off or cry your eyes out, that will not change. But you know what you can change? You can change your life. You have your decisions. If you fall down, then get the fuck back up. If you make a mistake, learn from it, and then bury it in your past. But you have to choose your battles, Sasuke. You can't fight it all. There are some things we can change, and some things we cannot. And if you can change it, then change it. If you can fight for it, then hell yeah, fight for it. But don't live in the past, Sasuke. Once something's said and done—you gotta think about what happens next."

I saw him steel himself, suppressing his own emotions for the sake of salvaging me from mine.

"What's it gonna be now, Uchiha?" he asked me. He looked at me for a moment.

"I dare you to move," he said, his gaze challenging.

I sat there, silent. Everything he said, it made sense. And even if I didn't want to, the logical mind he had instilled in me was beginning to work; I was beginning to understand. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and raised my hand to grip Itachi's shoulder. Opening my eyes, I met his gaze. My eyes were black like his. And now, those eyes were just as determined as his.

I whispered the words I never said openly to anyone but my brother.

"Help me."

* * *

As I drove my black Lamborghini convertible into the school parking lot, a thousand thoughts raced in my head. Mostly, I thought of the things that had happened to me.

It was nearly six months since that day when I had found out that Itachi had tuberculosis—when ironically, I had been the one who had reached out to him to help me, five months since Itachi had moved into the hospital for treatment, and three months since that Christmas when he had finally told me that I should prepare myself because his body had begun to show signs of rejecting the treatments and that there was a huge possibility that he only had a little more than a year to live.

It had been a hard road to ride on. At first, I really had difficulty coming to terms with it, but Itachi had helped me overcome all that. There had been a lot of times when I felt really shitty, but in the end, I had learned to take the entire blow and not flinch. Not because I didn't care, but because I had learned that it would not be the end. So by the time Itachi told me the truth I evaded—the truth that he refrained from saying before, I had understood.

I got out of my car, gathering my books, and then locking the doors and turning on the alarm. I walked into the building, giving a wave here, shooting my signature smirk there. I was Uchiha Sasuke, after all, the resident cool guy. I was calm, cool, collected.

But I had changed.

Back then, I had scoffed at the idea of being weak, but now, I no longer did such a thing. Because there had been a time when I had been the weak one, and now I had pulled myself back up.

I knew how it felt to fall on your face, to do a massive belly flop, but my brother had taught me to get up. He had dared me to move, to face my life, independent of others, and now, I did as he had dared me.

"Hey Sasuke! Don't forget our gig practice after school, okay? My place," Naruto grinned at me as I passed by, his arm around his girlfriend, Hinata.

"You bet," I said, smirking as we high-fived.

I walked on, staring ahead of me. The sun shone through the glass windows to my right, and when I looked out, I saw her.

Haruno Sakura.

The girl who had seen me in my weakness, yet she had not breathed a word about it. The one who, six months ago, had unhesitatingly helped me the best way she could even when I had pushed her away. She had taught me the same lesson Itachi taught me: to not give up.

She sat under the tree outside in the lawn, her back against the thick trunk. I watched her look at her watch then get up, gathering her books. She walked from under the shade into the sunshine, and there she looked up at the vibrant blue sky, her thick, pink hair tumbling around her shoulders, the morning rays washing over her face.

_She really is beautiful_, I realized.

I blinked, suddenly noticing that she was looking at me now. She raised an eyebrow at me, and I only smirked. She smiled then turned away.

Yeah, my life was not over.

* * *

**So how was it?**

**I hope you liked it. Don't forget to pop in some reviews! :D**

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**See ya later for the last chapter!**


	3. Breathe

**Hey there!**

September's here! :D Weee!

Now, here's the third and final chapter of this story. I has been a pleasure writing this surprise fic. Maybe I'll do an 'end-of-September' fic, but meh, no promises yet.

This chapter's inspired by Switchfoot's song, Learning to Breathe.

**Disclaimer:** Naruto or any of its characters do not belong to meee.

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The curtains swayed airily as the warm breeze came in. The birds were singing songs, flying exuberantly in the bright, blue sky. The flowers were in bloom.

It was spring. And it seemed as though everything was joyous and filled with life.

But that was not the case for _everyone_.

I looked up from the book I had been reading aloud for the past hour and turned my gaze to Itachi, who was lying pale on the hospital bed. Sunlight filled the room, warm against my cheek and dimming the drab interiors of the room we were in.

"Do you need anything?" I asked him softly.

He simply shook his head, smiling a little. Opening his eyes, he looked outside for a long moment before turning his attention to me.

"Spring is here," he remarked. "How are things going?"

"Hn. Just fine, I guess."

Itachi eyed me contemplatively. His dark eyes were amused.

"Oh really? Care to elaborate?" he queried, smiling.

I colored up at that. I knew at once that there was no way I could escape this. I sighed, rolling my eyes. As always, Itachi saw right through me.

"Fine," I said. Awkwardly, I scratched the back of my head, looking everywhere but my brother. "Well, I saw someone the other day at school."

He nodded. "It was Haruno Sakura, right?"

I stared at my brother with blank horror. _How the hell did he know?_ I thought as I searched my frantic mind for an answer.

Some of my uneasiness was probably visible, and Itachi laughed outright.

"Ah, Sasuke. You forget that we grew up together. I'm your brother, and for all your poker faces, I could still read you like an open book." He looked at me, his eyes alight with mischief.

"Hm, Haruno Sakura. Dr. Tsunade's most favored protégé. A very smart and popular girl. Pretty, too," Itachi said thoughtfully. "She also has a big heart, you know? I saw her with Dr. Tsunade last year at the charity ball hosted by the Hyuuga family. I heard Neji courted her once, but was turned down. She also does volunteer work frequently. I think she'd be a great sister-in-law for me. Do you want me to ask Dr. Tsunade permission for you to court Sakura?"

"Wha—wait, how did you know all this stuff?" I blurted out. My mind was reeling from everything I heard. My brother, that scheming bastard, only chuckled.

"She came here a few times, bringing flowers and chatting for a bit. You do know she spends part of her time at the hospital, right? Being Tsunade's apprentice and all." He raised an eyebrow at me.

"She does?"

He nodded.

"Oh." I blinked.

"Sasuke," Itachi said, his tone was gentle. He beckoned me to come closer. I got up and went toward him, bringing the stool I had been sitting on and placing it by his bed. Sitting down, I looked at him, eager to listen.

"What is it?" I prompted him, my hand grasping his firmly. I felt the slight flutter of his pulse point at his wrist. Here was my brother, the only family I had, lying in a dull hospital bed, fighting hard to live a little longer—for me, to keep me company as long as he could. I pressed my lips together tightly at the thought. Just as he had always done, Itachi looked out for me, thought about my sake before his. He had looked after me before, and now, even though he was the one bedridden, and I was the healthy one, he still looked after me.

"Sasuke," his voice was not much higher than a whisper, and I strained my ears to hear each word.

"You already know that I wouldn't be with you much longer," he said, and once again, I heard the rasping undertone in his voice. I nodded. This was the truth I had learned to accept, the truth I finally acknowledged—the truth I did not deny now.

"And that your life goes on," he continued. To this, I nodded again. Itachi looked deeply into my eyes.

"Be happy, then," he told me. "Live your life. Fall in love. Don't be afraid to be happy with someone else, Sasuke. You've been cooping yourself up here with me. Go out and mingle. I wouldn't blame you for being happy." He smiled a little. "Don't worry about little, old me. I—I had my time, my opportunities, and now, it's your turn to go out there and experience a lot of adventures."

I swallowed. I knew he was right. Even though I had learned that I still had my whole life before me, still, I had been afraid to—I dunno. I suppose I had been afraid, hesitant, of doing things that—ah shit. How was I supposed to explain this? Let's just say that I felt guilty thinking about the prospect of having fun and enjoying myself while my brother was here, feeling pain and fighting for his life. Somehow, I thought that I would be selfish if I did that.

"It's okay. I promise you, it is really okay. I don't want you to bear my problems; after all, those problems are mine to carry." Itachi said gently.

I felt something clench inside me. Once again, I found it ironic that even though I was the one who should be assuring him, he was still the one who assured me.

I pursed my lips. "I—I just. It just didn't seem right, like at all." I closed my eyes briefly, and then I opened them again, meeting my brother's sympathetic gaze.

"It's not fair," I whispered.

He shook his head at that. "No. Don't be like that. After all, how do you know that it's not fair?"

He sighed. "Look at it this way, Sasuke. Just because you are healthy and I am not, that never meant that things were unfair. The common mistake of people about fairness is that they set a standard for what can be considered fair, and then they apply it to everyone's lives." He looked at me intently.

"They forget that not everyone lived the same life, experienced the same circumstances, had the same losses, and therefore, that standard shouldn't apply to anyone at all," Itachi went on. "The old saying that you get what you deserve? That could be true in some cases, but for others, maybe not. We make our own destinies, but sometimes, we think that we don't get what we deserve, and maybe we really don't sometimes. I have to admit, I also thought that it was unfair when I first found out about this." He gestured, meaning this—meaning the disease that was slowly draining the life out of him. My eyes widened at this, while he only gave me a small smile, his hand briefly squeezing mine.

"Really?" I asked, dumbfounded. I had been under the impression that Itachi had completely resigned himself to thinking that it was all fair for him from the very beginning. Apparently, I was wrong.

"Yep," he agreed. "I had every reason to think that it was just unfair. I was only in my mid-twenties. I was, by all means, still young. I thought it was very unfair. After all, I made a lot of sacrifices, I did my best in everything, and so when I found out, I wanted to yell, to hit something, anything. There was even a time when I blamed you, though you didn't know about it." Itachi paused briefly, taking in my dumbstruck face. He smiled comfortingly at me.

"Don't worry, I don't blame you now. But as I was saying, I thought I had my whole life before me, and I also had dreams of falling in love with someone, marrying, having kids." I saw him smile briefly, albeit a little sadly, as he remembered those dreams.

"I thought that it should be fair for me, since I took care of you, managed to keep us both alive after Mom and Dad died. I thought that in the end, I'd get my reward for enduring it all. So when I learned about my disease, I recklessly blamed you. I thought I was cheated. I thought it was unfair. Until I realized that it was wrong for me to blame you for something you never did. Slowly, I understood. Some people call it resignation, some refer to it as helplessness, but I call it pure understanding. Why? Because I learned to hope again. I realized that fairness was based on perspective; it's up to you to think if things are fair or not. Many people think that fairness is all that matters, but me? Nope. I think it matters more if you lived your life to the fullest, if you cherished every moment of your life, taking delight in the little things, learning from your mistakes, enjoying what you have. If it's fair or not, it doesn't matter to me now."

I sat there, listening to every word he said, and even though I knew my brother well, somehow, this revelation made me know him better, deeper.

"I know now that I still have my life before me," he continued. "I still have some time left, and my life is just too precious for me to waste by racking my brains thinking if things are fair or not, and so, I will not think about whether it's fair or not, and instead, I'd rather make the most of the time I have left. And that includes spending time with you, for you."

Gently, he placed a hand on my head. Apparently, at some point, I had bent down and laid my head against the bed, hiding my face from him. I was still processing everything I heard.

"Why?" I whispered, my voice muffled by the sheets. "Why for me? You've already done so much for me, and yet, you still look after me even though you're here—fighting for your life."

His hand ruffled my hair. "Because you're my brother, silly. You are my cranky little bro, and you are important to me. And now, I would be happy to see you happy." At this, I lifted my head and looked up at him. He was smiling at me.

"Thank you," I said solemnly. "Thank you so much for all you have given me."

He chuckled. "You know I always have your back, Sasuke. Even when the day comes that I'm no longer here physically, know that I would always have your back."

"And I'll always have your back, too," I told him, sincerity evident in my eyes. We exchanged a look, both of us smiling a little. Then, he lifted his hand and poked me on the forehead, just like he used to do in the old days.

"I have always known that, kiddo," he assured me. "Now shoo. I would like to take a nap, and while I'm at it, you might as well get your lazy ass outta here and go get that girl." He winked at me, giving me a thumbs-up.

I rolled my eyes. "Unbelievable," I muttered. Trust my brother to embarrass the hell out of me anytime. Nonetheless, I shot him a smile.

"I'll go get Dr. Tsunade," I said.

"Whoa, asking permission for marriage now, Sasuke? You haven't even courted Sakura properly yet," Itachi teased. I made a face at him.

Laughing, I turned to head out.

"Sasuke."

"Yeah?"

"Are you sad?"

I looked back at him. Right now, I had the option to tell my brother the answer he wanted to hear, which was to say that I wasn't sad, or to tell him the truth. I looked into my brother's onyx eyes.

I decided to tell the truth.

"No."

* * *

I walked outside, stopping at the threshold which was brightly illuminated by the morning sun. I felt the gentle breeze ruffle my hair. I felt empowered, calm and at peace. I watched the birds fly freely up above the sky and I realized that even though I had pulled myself back up, I had not yet set myself free. But now, I did.

I breathed in the warm air, feeling hope wash within me as I did. I was prepared to live my life to the fullest now. I was awake, and now I felt alive.

I began to walk, and then I saw her again. There she was, walking a few feet ahead of me.

_Sakura._

I increased my pace. She was there in front of me, before me. The person who had kept me from falling during that day when I had been thoroughly confused—when I had been hurt. I was the one who had always been called before. But now, I was the one who did the calling.

"Sakura!"

She stopped and turned upon hearing her name. She looked at me curiously as I jogged towards her.

"Sasuke?"

"Hey, good morning."

"Good morning," she said, smiling a little. "I suppose you visited your brother, right?"

I nodded. We stood there in silence for a moment. I didn't know what to say.

"Well," I heard her say. "I hope you had a great time, then." She began to turn away.

She was going to go. _No_, I thought. _But how do I stop her?_

"I want a muffin," I blurted out. I almost wanted to slap myself. She turned and looked at me again, her expression confused.

"What?"

No turning back. I boldly stepped a little closer.

"You told me," I said to her. _This is the only way I can think of._ "You told me that I should tell you if I want a muffin, right? Well, I want a muffin now."

Her eyes widened as she remembered that day at the beach six months ago. I kept my face nonchalant, but my heart thudded wildly in my chest as I waited to see how she would react.

This was just so awkward.

Then, she smiled.

"Well, I don't have a muffin with me now, but I daresay I can whip up a batch for you, but that will take a while," she said, her green eyes seemed to sparkle in the sunlight, and I knew that that same sparkle was reflected in my own eyes.

"Then, I suppose we better get going," I smirked. She shrugged, laughing a little.

"Okay, then."

We both began to walk forward again, and as I watched her smile and chatter away, I knew that under my cold and indifferent façade, I was learning to breathe with life again.

* * *

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